Aadit Palicha was admitted to Stanford University for computer science. In 2020, during the lockdown, he and Kaivalya Vohra, both 17, started KiranaKart in Mumbai, coordinating neighbourhood grocery runs.
The model leaned on local kirana stores, and delivery was inconsistent. KiranaKart shut after about ten months. The founders then built dark stores and their own delivery and relaunched as Zepto in July 2021, joining Y Combinator. A $60 million Series A followed in October 2021.
Zepto became a unicorn in August 2023 with a $200 million Series E at $1.4 billion. It raised $665 million at $3.6 billion in June 2024, $340 million at $5 billion in August 2024 and $450 million at $7 billion in October 2025. The headquarters moved from Mumbai to Bengaluru in 2024.
Zepto reported FY26 revenue of Rs 22,624 crore and a loss of Rs 5,905 crore, per Business Today in June 2026. It pre-filed a confidential DRHP in December 2025, and the IPO of about Rs 9,500 crore was deferred as of July 2026.